As a 45 year old patient with severe PE I looked for the most experienced surgeon to help me. The two bars were implanted in Sept 2016 and removed in April 2019. The goal was no cosmetic. It was to improve my quality of life. It did. Massively. It solved my orthostatic intolerance. Even though it was a bumpy process due to pain, which was expected, I always felt I was in good hands. Prof Schaarschmidt's team is very dedicated and kind. Surgery is always stressful especially in an unknown environment like a foreign country, but I found it manageable. I do not regret my choice, quite the opposite. Prof Schaarschmidt was the right person for me. Over the years I had lost confidence in the medical profession, but when I first talked to Prof Schaarschmidt I felt I could trust him.
If you are an unusual case (due to age or severity) I would recommend asking Prof Schaarschmidt's opinion. Even if you consider another surgeon his opinion could be very useful. Don't forget you have only one shot with this kind of surgery as redos are so difficult or even impossible. So make sure you make the right choice.